Connecter for electric wires



arch w. HUGHES CONNECTER FOR ELECTRIC WIRES Filed March 5, 1920 Inn/5mm: Maw/A 1 I ATW Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

WII-LIAM HUGHES, OFTAUH TON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGHOB TO UNITED SHOE IA- GEINEBY conronam'on, on'rarnnson, mew .mnsnr, a ooarona'rron or JERSEY.

NEW

CONNECTED FOR EI ECTBIC WIRES.

Application fled larch 5, 1050. Serial No. 368,520.

My invention has for its object a. new and improved connecter for electric wires, the particular object being to provide a con necter which can be rapidly and cheaply 6 manufactured and quickly attached to the wire and which will be secured to the wire in such manner, that it will stand the vibration and rough handling to which it is subjected without .being detached and withou l diminishing its electrical continuity A connector embodying my Invention consists of a single piece of ductile sheet metal preliminarily stamped and formed to provide an unclenched eyelet portion and a bqdy portion of U-shaped cross-section adjoining the base or flange of theeyelet'portion. It is intended to be applied to an electric wire covered with insulating material except-lat the end or ends from which theinsulatin material has been stripped to bare the wire and of which the bared portion has been bent to form an e e. The connector and the wire are assemb ed by arranging the eye portion of the wire to surround the unclenohed barrel portion of the connecter'and arranging the adjacent portion of the wire in the trough or channel formed by the U-shaped body portion of the connector. A permanent union-of the wire and the connector may be made by clenching the barrel portion upon the eye portion and wrapping the extremities of the U-shaped body portion about the insulating material, and a novel and advantageous result of the U-shape is that the clenching of the barrel portion and the wrapping of the body portion may be per formed simultaneously with a pair of suitable dies, sincethe reliminary shaping of the body portion simplifies the attaching operation.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawlugs, and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 represents a length of electric wire covered with insulation and provided with terminal connectors embodymg my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a blank from which the connector is made.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the connecter in the condition that makes it most convenient to be applied to the wire.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the connecter in the condition shown in Figure 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the connector after it has been applied to the wire.

liigure 2 shows one form of blank from which a terminal connecter may be made to embody my invention; This blank, stam from a sheet of ductile sheet metal, comprises essentially a body portion 10, a head 12, and a neck 13 connectin them. The neck 13 is advantageous to facilitate the forming operation hereinafter described. Op osite marginal portions 11, 11 of the b0 y rtions insulating material, and a novel ami iidvanare initially bent, to provide indillidual u standing ears ortabs which are preferab y arranged to stand in confronting relation as shown by ,Figure 4. These tabs are finally wrapped around the insulating material with which most electric wires are covered. If desired, the body portion may be provided with teeth or sp'urs '14 to hold the insulating material more securely. The head 12 ispreliminarily drawn and pressed to provide an eyelet portion including a dished flange por tion 15 adjoining the neck 13 and a barrel portion 16., the latter being in line with the channel formed by the tabs 11, 11-

Figures 3 and 4 show the form into which the blank is converted prior to assembling it with the wire to which it is to be applied. which is also the most convenient form for the trade when the device is sold separately because it enables a suitable hand-tool or dia press to apply it completely with a single stroke, as hereinafter set forth. The U- shape imparted to the body portion by bending the tabs into upstanding relation (Figure 4) forms a channel in which to lay the wire, and maintains the desired relation of the wire and the connector prior to and during the operation of effecting a permanent union of the two. When teeth 14 are provided they are bent inwardly before the tabs 11, 11 are bent to confronting relation.

Having removed an inch, more or less, of insulatin material 17 from an end of the wire, and having bent the bare portion 18 of the wire to form an eye, the wire is ready 25 wrap the body portion 10. V The engage and confine the 30 portion 18.. Furthermore, the prongs 19 take ter and prevents i to receive the connector whichis in the condition shown by Fi 3 3, and 4. In assembling the two e ements the eye ofthe wire is arranged to surround the, barrel por- 5 tion 16 and the adjacent straight portion of barrel portion 16 is clenched upon the eye portion 18 and the confronting extremities of the U-shaped body portion are wrapped tightly around the lnsulating material. These two parts of the operatmn may be performed simultaneously by a single stroke of suitable dies, for example, like those shown in my copending application filed January 8, 1923, Serial No. 611,461. The initially unclenched condition of the barrel portion 16 permits completely forming the eye ortion of the wire before the terminal is applied thereto so that nothingvremains to be done after t e wire and terminal are assembled but to clench the barrel portion and clenching of the barrel portion splits the prongs 19 which curl outwardly and backwardly toward the flange 15 far enough to perimeter of the eye old of the eye'portion 18 individually and bind it tightly against the flange portion 15. The bad portion 10,-when wrapped tightly around the insulating material,

t rom slipping. If teeth 14 are provided they become embedded in the insulating material incidentally to wrappin the'bodyportion .10, and increase the hol power of the device.

in 4 la practice, I find that the loop in the bare wire 18 can be formed conveniently by bending it around the unch of the eyelet set instead of around t e barrelof the eyelet 15, and that when the punch is driven home, the

latter intof grips the lat- I tion and throu h loop will be carried into place around the barrel 15 automatically.

e connecter embodyin my invention as greater strength, durabfiity and electrical continuity than connecters which are soldered to the wire, but my improved connectors may be made more cheaply and applied more rapidly and conveniently.

What I claim is 1. A terminal connecter for an electric w1re,'consisting of a sin le piece of ductile sheet metal having a ho y portion, an eyelet portion, and a neck portion connecting the first two said ortions, said body portion having individua one side of an eye portion'of the wire, said eyelet portion also having an unclenched b portion arranged to extend through such eye portion and of a length to reach to or beyond the perimeter of such the wire to hook over said perimeter when clenched upon said eye portion.

2. The combination with an electric wire having a terminal bend forming an eye, of a terminal connecter consisting of a single piece of sheet metal having a portion substantially surrounding the wire near said eye, an annular flange portion in concentric relationto and engaging said e e, and a bar: rel portion projecting from said flange porsaid eye, said barrel portion being divi ed into a plurality of prongs which curl outwardly and backwardly' toward said flange portion and are clenched upon said eye.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM HUGHES.

to receive the connecter which is in the condition shown by Fi res 3 and 4. In assembling the two e ements the eye of the wire is arranged to surround the barrel portion 16 and the adjacent straight portion of the wire is placed in the channel formed by the tabs 11, 11 and thereby held against lateral displacement.

To attach the connecter to the wire the barrel portion 16 is clenched upon the eye portion 18 and the confronting extremities of the U-shaped body portion are wrapped tightly around the insulatin material. These two parts of the operation may be performed simultaneously by a single stroke of suitable dies, for example, like those shown in my copending application filed January 8, 1923, Serial No. 611,461. The initially unclenched condition of the barrel portion 16 permits completely forming the eye portion of the wire before the terminal is applied thereto, so that nothing remains to be done after the wire and terminal are assembled but to clench the barrel portion and wrap the body portion 10. The clenching of the barrel portion splits the latter into prongs 19 which curl outwardly and backwardly toward the flange 15 far enough to engage and confine the perimeter of the eye portion 18. Furthermore, the prongs 19 take hold of the eye portion 18 individually and bind it tightly against the flange portion 15. The bod portion 10, when wrapped tightly around t 1e insulating material, grips the latter and prevents it from slipping. If teeth 14 are provided they become embedded in the insulating material incidentally to wrapping the body portion 10, and increase the holdin power of the device.

In practice, I find that the loop in the bare wire 18 can be formed conveniently by bending it around the punch of the eyelet set instead of around t e barrel of the eyelet 15, and that when the punch is driven home, the

Patent No. 1,619,517,

loop will be carried into place around the barrel 15 automatically.

The connecter embodyin my invention has greater strength, durability and electrical continuity than connectors which are soldered to the wire, but my improved connectors may be made more cheaply and applied more rapidly and conveniently.

What I claim is- 1. A terminal connecter for an electric wire, consisting of a sin le piece of ductile sheet metal having a ho y portion, an eyelet portion, and a neck portion connecting the first two said portions, said body portion having individual upstanding tabs separate from and transformable independently of said eyelet portion and arranged to be bent over a straight portion of the wire to secure it to said body portion, and said eyelet portion having a flange ad oining said neck portion to provide a seat for one side of an eye portion of the wire, said eyelet portion also having an unclenche'd barrel portion arranged to extend through such eye portion and of a length to reach to or beyond the perimeter of such eye portion of the wire to hook over said perimeter when clenched upon said eye portion.

2. The combination with an electric wire having a terminal bend forming an eye, of a terminal connecter consisting of a single piece of sheet metal having a portion substantially surrounding the wire near said eye, an annular flange portion in concentric relation to and engaging said eye, and a barrel portion projecting from said flange portion and through said eye, said barrel portion being divi ed into a plurality of prongs which curl outwardly and backwardly toward said flange portion and are clenched upon said eye.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM HUGHES.

Granted March 1, 1927, to

WILLIAM HUGHES.

It is hereb certified that error appears in the printed specification of the abovenumbered pa tent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, hnes'66 and 67 for the word operation read operations; and line 68, for portions read ort'ion;

line 69 strike out the words and syllable insulating materia and a $321 ifi iidvan g and that the said Letters Patent should be read w th these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease m the Patent ce. 1 Signed and sealed this 11th day of October, A. D. 1927.

M. J. MOORE, Acting Commissioner of Patents.

Certificate of Correction.

Patent No. 1,619,517, Grantai March 1, 1927, to

- WILLIAM HUGHES.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the abovenumbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, ,linw'66 and 67, for the' word operation road operations; and line 68, for portions read ortion;

same page, line 69, strike out the words and syllable insulating materia and a k novel and advam; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with thesei cormotions therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in tho Patent co. Signed and sealed this 11th day of October, A. D. 1927.

m M. J. MOORE,

Acting Omnmiuioner 'of Patents. 

